The top of the cover element of a driver front airbag module usually covers the entire adjacent area of the steering wheel, and here usually has at least two flaps that are retained on a stationary section, which can, for example, be formed by a lateral wall. Such a cover element is usually designated as “cover.” Here it is possible that the flaps form the entire top of the cover element, and it is also possible that the flaps are connected to a peripheral area of the roof via tear-away connections. In any case, at least one hinge is associated with each flap, about which hinge the flap can swing into an open position when the airbag is expanding. Furthermore, two adjacent flaps are normally connected to each other by a tear-away connection. If the gas generator of the airbag module is initiated, then the airbag expands, whereby all tear-away connections are opened and the flaps swing open about their respective hinges.
There is the desire on the part of most vehicle manufacturers to dispose the emblem of the vehicle manufacturer in the central hub area of the steering wheel. Thus, at least one of the flaps must have an emblem area that forms the emblem or on which the emblem is disposed, which, in the latter case in particular, can cause problems if the size of the emblem is relatively large. Cover elements have therefore been known in which the tear-away connection extends through the emblem between two adjacent flaps so that the emblem breaks open in the event of an expansion of the airbag. This, however, requires very high manufacturing expense.
On this basis, the object of the present invention is to further develop a cover element of the above-described type so that its manufacturing expense is low and the emblem section, even if it is relatively large, is not in the way of the expanding airbag and remains constrained against traveling uncontrolled in the vehicle interior.
The above object is achieved by a cover element having the features of described herein and shown by the Figures.